Humans are wired to crave new experiences and sensations, but everybody has different degrees of tolerance. Some want to try the newest gadget or restaurant, while others need exotic travel or extreme sports. Sensation seeking is not the same as thrill seeking; it doesn’t always involve climbing skyscrapers or jumping out of planes. It’s actually […]
These times call for stress reduction! For me, some techniques are obvious: relive fun travel memories by sorting through photos to decide what to paint; immerse myself in “the zone” when I paint; enjoy knowing my paintings make collectors feel good. You can also get in the zone by working out, or reading a good […]
Way back when, I took a grad seminar in environmental psychology. At the time, the field was focused on how we found our way around in the world. Lately it has crossed into architecture and interior design, in recognition of the built environment’s impact on our health, thinking and socializing. Thousands of years ago, humans […]
For two months, I’d been thinking about a painting of Mont St. Michel. Our visit there last fall was inspiring. And funny, and challenging, but that comes later. First came the monumental presence out in the bay, the threatening skies, the deceptive marshes surrounding and protecting it from those foolish enough to attempt the crossing. […]
That doesn’t refer to current events, though it certainly could. It is a quote from an artist named Nicolas Roerich. He believed cultural heritage is a world treasure comprised of buildings, art, universities, libraries, concert halls and theaters. He said they must all be “protected from the ravages of war and neglect, for without them […]
This wasn’t a term I’d heard before, but the often invisible effort of cognitive labor is also known as life admin, which is more intuitively obvious. The person in a family who’s generally in charge of things like household maintenance and social coordination is buried in cognitive labor. It’s often unacknowledged, but the time (or […]
When we stop and think, we know this season is really about being grateful. Never mind manufactured celebrations like Black Friday. This is a time to gather with people who matter to us, appreciate what we have, and give to those in need. OK, and it’s also about eating too much. LOL There is much […]
The Diderot effect says people purchase things that are generally complementary to one another and that relate to their sense of identity. When something new deviates, though, it can cause a domino effect of more consumption. Perhaps the new kitchen/car/shoes make existing possessions look shabby, and suddenly everything must be upgraded. Coined by anthropologist Grant […]
Maybe it makes me a troglodyte or something, but I am not super-enamored of all things digital. What reminded me was that my new(ish, used) car just rolled over to 70,000 miles. Except it didn’t. Being digital, it was disappointing. There was no excitement, no clicking of numbers actually rolling over. Unlike last time, when […]
This year, for the first time in about 40 years, I am not serving on a nonprofit board. Or on five of them simultaneously. Did that the year I left my corporate job to start my consulting firm. And nearly bankrupted myself, as I gave away more time and advice than I sold. Lesson learned. […]
